The present invention relates to methods of disassembling and assembling gas turbine engine components, and more particularly annular gas turbine engine components.
Components of gas turbine engines may become worn or damages after use. For example, annular components such as turbine vane support rings may develop cracks or other wear or damage that necessitates repair or replacement. Repair is generally more cost-effective than full-part replacement. However, repairs to annular components can be difficult or impossible using known methods. For example, typical repairs to a first stage high pressure turbine vane support ring for a PW4000 gas turbine engine can require repair source approval (RSA) with actual engine run hardware cut-ups (a time consuming and expensive process), elevated welding/brazing temperatures can produce part distortion (rendering that part non-repairable), and repair processes can utilize acidic and/or environmentally unfriendly processes (e.g., nickel plating). In addition, known repair processes may have repair limits, such as plasma flange repairs that can render a component non-repairable after the process is performed twice.